Simplex Method for Standard Maximization Problem

Some Useful Links

To solve a standard maximization problem using the

simplex method, we take the following steps:

On-Line Tutorial on the

Simplex Method

Step 1. Convert to a system of equations by introducing

slack variables to turn the constraints into equations, and
rewriting the objective function in standard form.

Pivot and Gauss-Jordan

Tool

Step 2. Write down the initial tableau.

Excel Pivot and GaussJordan Tool

Step 3. Select the pivot column: Choose the negative

Simplex Method Tool
number with the largest magnitude in the bottom row
(excluding the rightmost entry). Its column is the pivot
Free Macintosh Simplex
column. (If there are two candidates, choose either one.) If
Method Tool.
all the numbers in the bottom row are zero or positive
(excluding the rightmost entry), then you are done: the basic
solution maximizes the objective function (see below for the
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basic solution).
Step 4. Select the pivot in the pivot column: The pivot must
always be a positive number. For each positive entry b in the
pivot column, compute the ratio a/b, where a is the number
in the Answer column in that row. Of these test ratios,
choose the smallest one. The corresponding number b is the
pivot.
Step 5. Use the pivot to clear the column in the normal
manner (taking care to follow the exact prescription for
formulating the row operations described in Chapter 2) and
then relabel the pivot row with the label from the pivot
column. The variable originally labeling the pivot row is the
departing or exiting variable and the variable labeling the
column is the entering variable.
Step 6. Go to Step 3.
Basic Solution

Example

To get the basic solution corresponding to any tableau in the In the following tableau
simplex method, set to zero all variables that do not appear
as row labels (these are the inactive variables).
x y z s t u p Ans
The value of a variable that does appear as a row label (an
active variable) is the number in the rightmost column in
that row divided by the number in that row in the column
labeled by the same variable.

1 0 0 0 4

1 0 3 0 0 8 0 12
4 0 0 0 3 0 0 2
5
2 0 0 0 6 0 4
6 0 0 0 0 0 5 25
the basic solution is
x = 0, y = 2, z =
4, s = 4, t = 2/3,
u = 0, p = 5,

Linear Programming (LP) Problem

Example

A linear programming problem is

one in which we are to find the
maximum or minimum value of a
linear expression

Here is an example of an LP problem:

ax + by + cz + . . .
(called the objective function), subject
to a number of linear constraints of
the form
Ax + By + Cz + . . . N
or
Ax + By + Cz + . . . N.
The largest or smallest value of the
objective function is called the
optimal value, and a collection of
values of x, y, z, . . . that gives the
optimal value constitutes an optimal
solution. The variables x, y, z, . . . are
called the decision variables.

Find the maximum value of

p = 3x 2y + 4z
subject to
4x + 3y z 3
x + 2y + z 4
x 0, y 0, z 0
The objective function is p = 3x 2y + 4z. The
constraints are
4x + 3y z 3
x + 2y + z 4
x 0, y 0, z 0.

Q Wait a minute! Why can't I simply choose, say, z to be

really large (z = 1,000,000 say) and thereby make p as
large as I want?
A You can't because

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Sketching the Solution Set of a

Linear Inequality

Example
To sketch the linear inequality

To sketch the region represented by a

linear inequality in two variables:
A. Sketch the straight line obtained by
replacing the inequality with an
equality.
B. Choose a test point not on the line
((0,0) is a good choice if the line does
not pass through the origin, and if the
line does pass through the origin a
point on one of the axes would be a

3x 4y 12,
first sketch the line 3x 4y = 12.

good choice).
C. If the test point satisfies the
inequality, then the set of solutions is
the entire region on the same side of
the line as the test point. Otherwise it
is the region on the other side of the
line. In either case, shade out the side
that does not contain the solutions,
leaving the solution region showing.

Next, choose the origin (0, 0) as the test point (since it is

not on the line). Substituting x=0, y=0 in the inequality
gives
3(0) 4(0) 12.
Since this is a true statement, (0, 0) is in the solution set,
so the solution set consists of all points on the same side
as (0, 0). This region is left unshaded, while the (grey)
shaded region is blocked out.

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Feasible Region

Example

The feasible region determined by a

collection of linear inequalities is the
collection of points that satisfy all of
the inequalities.

The feasible region for the following collection of

inequalities is the unshaded region shown below
(including its boundary).

To sketch the feasible region

determined by a collection of linear
inequalities in two variables: Sketch
the regions represented by each
inequality on the same graph,
remembering to shade the parts of the
plane that you do not want. What is
unshaded when you are done is the
feasible region.

3x 4y 12,
x + 2y 4
x1
y 0.

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Graphical Method

Example

The graphical method for solving

linear programming problems in two
unknowns is as follows.

Minimize C = 3x + 4y subject to the constraints

3x 4y 12,
x + 2y 4

x 1, y 0.
A. Graph the feasible region.
B. Compute the coordinates of the
corner points.
C. Substitute the coordinates of the
corner points into the objective
function to see which gives the optimal
value.
D. If the feasible region is not
bounded, this method can be
misleading: optimal solutions always
exist when the feasible region is
bounded, but may or may not exist
when the feasible region is unbounded.
The textbook shows a straightforward
way for determining whether optimal
solutions exist in the case of
unbounded feasible regions.
If you want to see a utility that
automates the whole process, try our
Linear Programming Grapher. It does
everything automatically!

The feasible region for this set of constraints was shown

above. Here it is again with the corner points shown.

The following table shows the value of C at each corner

point:
Point C = 3x + 4y
(1, 1.5) 3(1)+4(1.5) = 9

minimum

(4, 0) 3(4)+4(0) = 12
Therefore, the solution is x = 1, y = 1.5, giving the
minimum value C = 9.
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The Simplex Method:

How it Works
Below we present 11 steps to solving a linear program with the two-phase revised
simplex method. The links associated with the numbers go to pages that explain the steps
in more detail. The links inside each list item go to the definitions page where you can
find a glossary of useful linear programming terms.
1. Before you start, put the linear program into standard form. This means making
the linear program the minimizing variety and changing inequality constraints to
equality constraints.
2. Find a first basic feasible solution. (Iterate through these steps with a slightly
expanded form of the problem.)
3. Calculate the Reduced costs.
4. Test for optimality.

5. Choose the entering variable.

6. Calculate the Search Direction.
7. Test for unboundedness.
8. Choose the leaving variable by the Min Ratio Test.
9. Update the solution.
10. Change the basis.
11. Go to Step 3.

Try It!

The Simplex Method:

Definitions Page
Objective Function
The function that is either being minimized or maximized. For example, it may
represent the cost that you are trying to minimize.
Optimal Solution
A vector x which is both feasible (satisfying the constraints) and optimal
(obtaining the largest or smallest objective value).
Constraints
A set of equalities and inequalities that the feasible solution must satisfy.
Feasible Solution
A solution vector, x, which satisfies the constraints.
Basic Solution
x of (Ax=b) is a basic solution if the n components of x can be partitioned into m
"basic" and n-m "non-basic" variables in such a way that:
the m columns of A corresponding to the basic variables form a
nonsingular basis and
the value of each "non-basic" variable is 0.
The constraint matrix A has m rows (constraints) and n columns (variables).
Basis
The set of basic variables.
Basic Variables
A variable in the basic solution (value is not 0).
Nonbasic Variables
A variable not in the basic solution (value = 0).
Slack Variable
A variable added to the problem to eliminate less-than constraints.
Surplus Variable
A variable added to the problem to eliminate greater-than constraints.
Artificial Variable
A variable added to a linear program in phase 1 to aid finding a feasible solution.

Unbounded Solution
For some linear programs it is possible to make the objective arbitrarily small
(without bound). Such an LP is said to have an unbounded solution.